Second
by oceanfirehearts
Summary: FINISHED! PG just to be safe. They're grieving over death... they talk... short chapters, short. Please RR, flames welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all but the plot.

- - - SECOND - - -

It was a hot day on privet drive, but the residents of number four weren't there to enjoy it. The Dursleys had taken their son Dudley on a vacation to France. Not only had they taken him, but Harry as well. Harry Potter, now 16 could accurately recall Uncle Vernon's words. "Petunia, we must take Harry. I do not trust him around _our_ house _alone_. He would invite some of his loony… _school friends_ here and demolish the place. I _will not have it_.

"But Vernon dead, you-"

"Oh yes yes I _know_ he would spoil it for us, that's why I've gone and bought a nice big animal cage to lock him up in during they day at the hotel. So there would be no… _funny business_.

The last thing Harry wanted was to be locked up in a cage like a dog, but in all honesty he thought it would be much more fun than walking around with a complaining Dudley all day. The last time he did that, he ended up setting a snake on his cousin. 'The snake probably thought Dudley resembled a nice, juicy pork sandwich. Or, at least I hope it did…' though Harry, now grinning.

"What are _you_ grinning about?" spat his huge cousin from the right side of the car.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about how nice a warm apple pie with whipped cream on top would be right about now." Harry turned to look out the window, but caught a glimpse of Dudley place his head in his hands and sigh deeply.

"Mmmm, and a warm glass of tea with lots of sugar." He added, just to amuse himself.

"SHUT UP!" Hollered Dudley, clenching his fat fists. "Do you want me to lay one on you?"

"I don't think you'd have the guts to… _Big D_." Harry retorted.

"ARE YOU ASKING FOR TROUBLE BOY?" roared Uncle Vernon.

"No, would you like me to give you some?"

"BE QUITE AND STOP PESTERING YOUR COUSIN. HE'S A BLOODY GENTLEMAN SPORT TO LET US TAKE YOU ALONG."

For most of the two days drive to France, Harry stared out the window, into the now gray sky. It was raining slightly, and Uncle Vernon had kindly given Harry the seat of the car with the leaky window. 'Why he hasn't gotten this fixed is a mystery,' Harry thought. He suspected it had something to do with the amount of money Uncle Vernon had spent on the rare bohemian tulips he ordered for their home garden. Staring into the rain at the snow capped mountains far away, a jogger passed their car, with a great black dog on a blue leash. Immediately, Harry though of his godfather, Sirius. 'What if…' his mind began racing. 'What if Sirius hadn't chosen to be a _ghost_, but he had come back as a dog?' or, 'What if he hadn't died at all?' What if that dog _had_ been Sirius? After all, it had looked back… 'no.' Harry thought. 'Stop it… now you're just being stupid. What's done is done.' But he couldn't get the though of the dog out of his mind.

Soon Harry fell asleep, bored by the rainy drive and not wishing to stare out the window any longer. All through his dreams a great black dog ran happy and free around someone's front lawn barking happily and biting at butterflies. A young wizard opened the porch door, and must have called for it, because the dog went bounding in the house. Later again it came out, and transformed. But when it transformed, it was a dirty man with shoulder length hair. Harry's heart skipped a beat and the dream sped up. The man turned, but he had no face. It was like a blank template, no features, no smile, no nothing. It could have been Sirius, but probably wasn't. Harry moved to the man in his dream and tried to shake his hand, but the man kept backing away as though he didn't want to be touched or spoken to. A sudden sadness swept over Harry, who was awoken by a forceful bump.

'RUDDY RAIN, AS IF THIS ISN'T ENOUGH TO RUIN OUR VACATION!" shouted Uncle Vernon. Harry saw that the front of his uncle's car had hit a fallen tree branch. He cautiously opened the door and got out and moved to the front of the car just as everyone else had done.

"I called the tow truck, and they'll be here soon to fix this bloody piece of metal. We can't move on with this ruddy bang, _and_ a flat tire." Harry looked over the left side of the car and saw one of the tires had gone flat. A nail was poking halfway into it.

"Petunia, would you go over to that restaurant and see if they've got any more tables? I'm starving..." Uncle Vernon said kindly to his wife.

"But Vernon, look at the li-" She was about to protest on behalf of what looked like a 20 person line, but uncle Vernon cut her off.

"JUST DO IT!" he barked suddenly, seeming to forget that this _was_ his wife. Aunt Petunia scurried away from her side of the car and down the sidewalk of a French cuisine restaurant. Dudley started humming.

"What's that song you're singing Dudders? Britain Rain? Come now…" uncle Vernon started something that apparently was his idea of singing; loud, very off tune and chant like. Harry snorted.

"WHAT WAS THAT RUDE COMMENT JUST MADE BOY? ARE YOU INSULTING YOUR COUSIN'S VOICE?"

"No. I'm insulting yours." Harry said calmly.

"AND YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO SPEAK OF IT! NO MORE DISRESPECT BOY, I _WILL NOT HAVE IT_. I DON'T CARE IF YOUR… _YOUR KIND _COME AFTER ME FOR IT, BUT IF YOU CONTINUE GIVING ME AND _MY _FAMILY PROBLEMS I WILL CHUCK YOU OUT OF MY HOUSEHOLD BEFORE YOU CAN SAY KIPPER, LIKE THE BLOODY ORPHAN YOU ARE." And with that, uncle Vernon slammed his fist into the side of the car so hard it dented.

"THAT'S IT; I'M GETTING RID OF THIS BLOODY JUNKYARD MESS! EVERYBODY INSIDE THE RESTAURANT!" Uncle Vernon moved away the car and slammed the door so hard the window cracked, and rain started seeping in.

"AAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!" He howled, and ran across the sidewalk where aunt petunia was the last in what _was_ a twenty person line. Harry tried hard not to let uncle Vernon's comment get to him. It had already echoed in his head about a hundred times in one minute. _'Like the bloody orphan you are…' 'Like the bloody orphan you are…' 'Like the bloody orphan you are…' _'Yeah, that's right. Like the bloody orphan I am.' Harry thought bitterly.

Uncle Vernon was now storming up to the front door of the restaurant, shoved the greeter away from it, and yanked it open. Harry had the sudden urge to run up the greeter and apologize a million times.

"Now look what you've done!" Dudley was whimpering to Harry, his eye's brimmed with tears. "This was supposed to be my _birthday _vacation!" Though Dudley had aged as Harry, he obviously hadn't grown up the least bit. Not looking where he was going, Dudley tripped on a loose stone from the walkway and fell flat on his face, into the cold and wet. Harry liked this sidewalk, it was very fancy anyway.

"Now look what _you've_ done." Harry said, highly annoyed, stepping over his large cousin. He entered the restaurant and found a cushy bench, where he sat back and prepared to sit through an hours wait.

- - -

_Author's note; I couldn't help but feeling a little, tiny, bit bad for __Dudley__. I'm having a beta read through this now, so the updated version should be up soon. As always, if you have any questions, comments, ( flames are welcome to) please write a review :] _


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns all but the Hoblog & the plot which are mine.

- - -

Soon enough the French vacation was over, and Harry was being summoned to the Order residence to 'take care of some business.' He was happy and sad all at the same time. Happy about leaving the Dursleys, but sad about going back the order… Sirius's house. It didn't feel right to go back to somewhere so special, when the person who had made it so special wasn't going to be there. But Harry had no idea what he would learn later on.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone who had used floo powder to appear out of the Dursleys fireplace. Ironically the family was out for the day, having been sent yet another phony contest-winning letter. This time the Dursleys had won a free car service session, despite the fact that they had not applied for one. Uncle Vernon had been so exited that he swept up the family and left immediately.

Remus Lupin was now standing before the fireplace, looking a bit better than he had in the previous years. He had new robes at least.

"So you're the one who summed me to come to the order…" Harry said, sounding annoyed, though he wasn't the least bit.

"Yes Harry. I was. I actually am the only one besides Kreacher and Buckbeak living in that house at the moment., and I figured I'd offer you some friendlier company for the rest of the summer." Lupin stood cautiously at the fireplace, very still. 'Is he trying to take the place of Sirius?' Harry thought to himself. 'No. He knows how much I miss him. Lupin isn't stupid…'

"Harry, I guess I must've startled you. I'm sorry." Lupin still hadn't moved from where he was standing.

"Erm… sorry.. I-" Harry realized he was looking quite dazed, and snapped back to attention. "I dunno… um, what did you say again?" Lupin repeated the statement.

"Sure," Said Harry involuntarily. They set off.

It took a mere 2 minutes to arrive inside the fireplace of the Order house. Harry stepped out the fireplace only to tread on Kreacher's foot.

"Ah, another filthy young master. Must you come again as last summer to taunt poor old Kreacher? Are you another of those hideous beasts as he becomes on the nights of the moon?" He pointed to Lupin, who simply said, "Kreacher, go finish your duty in the hippogriff's quarters." Kreacher limped off, muttering something crude about an oversized chicken, and being ordered around by a werewolf.

"How can you toss off all those comments like that, after so long?" Harry asked Lupin. "One gets used to it eventually… now, about why I brought you here-" there was a long pause, and Lupin gestured Harry over to the scarlet couch across the room. They sat. "I was having a hard time," Lupin started "taking up the task of cleaning Sirius's room. I brought you here to help me, but only if you wish." He added. "There are some very nice things of Sirius's that I thought you might like to have. And" – he seemed to be struggling for words. "I think it's time you should know about what went on between 'The Marauders' when we were at Hogwarts. You always wanted to know about your father and Sirius I'm sure."

"What kind of-" Harry started, but Lupin cut him off.

"Just some of our adventures together, and whatever else you'd like to know." Harry liked the sound of this.

"I understand your pain Harry," Lupin said "I feel it immensely as well. It might make it easier for the both of us to talk about it. But again, only if you want to."

"I want to if you do." said Harry. Lupin smiled. They made their way up to Sirius's room, where it looked as though Lupin had been searching for every memory he had of his best friend.

"I apologize for the mess." He said softly. Walking through the room, Harry accidentally knocked into a bookshelf, where a small square object fell from the highest shelf. He caught it before it hit the ground.

"That would be a Hoblog Harry, one of the things I wondered if you'd want. It's a small device that you carry with you always, and it lets you know when your friend needs you by blinking a blue light in the letters of their name." Lupin explained. Harry started in awe at the brilliance of the inventor. There had been many times when he had needed Ron, mainly just to talk. The Hoblog was a very small, indestructible blend of glass and marble, with a little window-like thing was centered in the middle. Harry suspected that was where the name of the friend would appear. Lupin interrupted his thoughts by saying "All four of us had those. Peter had several though, as he kept losing his. I still have mine, but I have no need of it anymore." He suddenly looked sad. "I was thinking that you could have Sirius's, and Ron could have mine. That way, you'd always have some form of communication between the two of you. It comes In handy sometimes." Lupin looked sadder, kind of defeated.

"You miss him don't you?" Harry said suddenly.

"I do. I do. He was the most admirable loyal person one could meet. James was the same. I wish I could repay them both. There's only one of us now. Well, two. But the other isn't really worth considering." And with that, Lupin said, "Well, we'd better get a move on." They began going through and sorting out Sirius's things. Harry slipped the Hoblog into his pocket safely.

After hours of sorting and tidying, Harry finally said, "Professor Lupin, would you tell me about the times you had as a boy with my dad and Sirius?"

"Of course Harry. This should be it for the day anyway. And please, call me Remus. I am no longer your teacher." A slight smile lingered on his face. Harry somehow didn't feel comfortable doing this, but he didn't object. Lupin started telling the tales of how he, James, Sirius and peter would go around Hogsmeade during his nights as a werewolf.

"Sirius wanted me to teach him how to howl." Lupin remembered.

"And did you?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I did. And then after I had nearly attacked Snape when he came nosing around due to one of Sirius's little jokes, Sirius thought it would be amusing to howl and run whenever he saw Snape alone. You should have seen him laugh and the terror on Snape's face." Another light smile. Harry had an animated picture in his mind; Sirius sneaking around a corner, howling, and Snape looking around wildly, his greasy hair swinging limply. Sirius howling more dangerously and Snape racing down the hall. He suppressed a laugh. Lupin explained the story thoroughly, Harry laughing at Sirius's crazy antics. He suddenly had a feeling of new respect for Lupin.

"How do you deal with it? People hating you, turning their back, because of what you are?" Harry immediately felt guilty; this had come out extremely rude and sudden. Lupin looked a bit surprised. "Sorry…" Harry stammered.

"No, it's ok," started Lupin. "It's not the easiest thing in the world as you've already guessed, but I-" there was a pause. "have learned to turn the other cheek."

"But didn't it upset you when you were younger?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes… greatly. I didn't know how to deal with it then. I was liked by few and shunned by many by the 5th year, because of a certain Slytherin who found out my secret. The promise to Dumbledore obviously didn't matter." finished Lupin coldly. 'And I thought being stared at was bad...' trailed Harry in his brain. He felt that Lupin was just as important as Sirius. He had been thinking about them lately-Lupin, his dad, and Sirius. The three people he had looked up to the most in his life. Sirius, because he was the closest thing to a father Harry had had. He loved him for who he was and not the scar on his forehead. His dad, for such courage and bravery. But at the same time, James seemed mysterious, a blank spot in Harry's life. Lupin because… well, he was Lupin. He had endured so much throughout his life, good and bad just like Harry. And he was Sirius' and his dad's best friend.

"Hey Lupin?"

"Yes Harry?" he responded quickly.

"I really looked up to Sirius. And my dad. But, well… I didn't know much about him except he was my dad and your best friend." Lupin was listening. "Right now, I don't have anybody I can really relate to or talk to without them worrying about every second of my life. I used to have Sirius, but now…" His voice trailed off. "And Ron, but he's been very preoccupied with becoming prefect and all." Lupin was still listening.

"Prof-"

"Lupin or Remus please."

"Lupin, Sorry. You're the closest thing I have to a family right now, I think you win second place." Lupin looked touched.

"Sirius wouldn't have wanted us to stay sad-" said Harry. Lupin interrupted his sentence.

"Sirius had said Harry, before we came to your call, that if he were to die or be lost, he wanted me to take care of you for him. For you to come to me for help, and for me to make myself available if you needed anything."

"Well I do." said Harry quietly. Lupin embraced him into a hug. For the first time, Harry felt getting through Sirius's death would be a little easier, now that he had his godfather's best friend there with him.

- - -

_Author's note: Done. Sort of a lame ending I thought.... but lame as in good lame.. yeah? Please R/R, flames are accepted as always._


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